The Australian continental shelf: Has Australia's high-latitude diplomacy paid off?’

Abstract

The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has granted Australia extended continental shelf areas around two of its sub-Antarctic island groups, and these extend into the Antarctic Treaty area. The overlap potentially raises conflict between Australian and Antarctic interests. Australia's submission included and expressly excluded Antarctic data and its high-latitude diplomacy paid off, but its next steps will be crucial to gaining acceptance by other Antarctic Treaty parties. It is likely that any resource exploitation will stop at the fence (60° South) during the life of the Treaty.